This invention relates to a fishing reel which detects when the liner of its brake member is worn to a predetermined value.
A conventional fishing reel is designed as follows: That is, in order to suitably tense the fishing line which is let out of the spool to fight against a fish which has taken the hook, the fishing reel has a drag device which is adapted to control a rotary body (rotor), which is rotated as the fishing line is let out. In the case of a double-bearing type fishing reel, as is disclosed by Japanese Utility Patent (OPI) No. 68774/1978 (the term "OPI" as used herein means an "unexamined published application"), the drag device is constructed by frictionally coupling a drive gear mounted on the handle shaft and engaged with a pinion rotated together with a spool.
During fishing, the fishing line is pulled to tense it. If this operation is frequently carried out, then the liner of a brake member forming the brake device becomes worn out, as a result of which the range of adjustment is made narrow, or the powder of the lining material sticks on the braking surface or the driving section, to lower the drag performance. In practice, it is difficult to accurately detect how the drag performance is lowered; that is, in order to accurately detect this deterioration and replace the lining washer it is necessary to disassemble the reel.